Q&A 26 Questions.
Added 2022-07-02 14:11:08 +0000 UTCYou know what to do. Put them below.
I'm feeling generous, I'm opening it up to the operator level as well for this one.
List of previous questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Wn7idsif2-ifK7SlgJ4tE0H7P9c4zASi_kSEu8rIS4/edit#heading=h.mwc5y9bd9pm7
Comments
Follow on questions on Army MGS...if other countries can do a wheeled gun system...some with 120mm gun...why can't the US...
Mike Quinton
2022-12-20 03:15:00 +0000 UTCHow did the Canadian Kangaroo series of vehicles come about during WW2?
Vjrcr
2022-11-15 00:34:26 +0000 UTCAdd the idiotic name "Doom Turtle" to the list!
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-27 18:10:59 +0000 UTCNot really a question, but a suggestion. I've had it up to here with wannabes calling vehicles by names that were never used in service like "M60 Super Patton", "M60A2 Starship", "General Stuart/Lee/Geant/Sherman" calling a Panther or Tiger by the derogatory name "kitty", "Wolverine", "Achilles", one jerk who insists on using "M113 Gavin, ad nauseum. I know you have addressed this in the videos for individual vehicles, but could roll all these up into a "Fake Tank Names for Wannabes" video?
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-27 18:10:10 +0000 UTCWe need your review of the performances at the tank biathlon. It seems easy to criticize the performances but I'm guessing many of those things are really hard. Videos from the event: https://twitter.com/conflictsw/status/1562138242207604737?s=21&t=gfiWFgPEZSJKDrlKLd0GJw
J
2022-08-23 18:29:54 +0000 UTCModern US tanks have just such a ring. And speaking as an armor officer with 25 years experience, they don't provider anywhere near the visibility that operating with your head out does. Remember, it's the tank/AT weapon you don't see that is going to kill you. I worked with Canadians, British, German and Israeli tankers during my career - we all operated with the hatch open and head out. BTW, Chieftain's life was saved by a vision block in Iraq https://worldoftanks.com/en/news/chieftain/The_Chieftains_Hatch_Significant_Events/ "I'm in a $2.6 million tank, one of the most lethal, best-protected killing machines on the planet. But had the opposition aimed about three inches higher, I'd have been ended by a 25-cent bullet."
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-18 19:06:03 +0000 UTCGiven the value in the tank commander directly looking out from the hatch, has there been anyone who's looked at providing a ring of bullet resistant glass around the hatch to provide some level of protection while preserving most of the visibility? I guess a bubble might count too.
J
2022-08-15 05:18:44 +0000 UTCSome data you may find interesting THIRD ARMY – FIRST TANK DESTROYER BRIGADE DATA BY CHARLES H BOGART FROM WORLD AT WAR#78 JUNE-JULY 2021 BATTALIONS MONTH M10 M18 M36 M5 TOTAL OCT 44 3 6 1 7 17 NOV 44 3 4 2 5 14 DEC 44 4 6 2 7 19 JAN 45 2 5 2 7 16 FEB 45 1 6 5 3 15 MAR 45 1 5 4 3 13 APR 45 1 6 4 3 14 MAY 45 2 7 6 3 18 ROUNDS FIRED INDIRECT DIRECT NOTES OCT 44 87,464 3,154 NOV 44 52,645 7,389 DEC 44 2,733 32,214 ARDENNES JAN 45 29,494 6,494 FEB 45 28,932 8,756 MAR 45 5,994 14, 755 MOBILE WARFARE RESUMES APR 45 28 5,218 MOBILE WARFARE RESUMES MAY 45 0 968 THE ARDENNES AND MOBILE WARFARE MEANT THAT US UNITS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER GERMAN AFV'S
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-12 09:29:28 +0000 UTCI know that the British copied the Jerry can from the Germans, replacing the Flimsies. Did the Soviet Union copy the jerry can during WW2, and what fuel container did it replace? Also, what is your favorite fruit? Mine is cherries.
George Wood
2022-08-10 08:03:26 +0000 UTCFollowing up from Q&A 25 @ 50:57: What about AP, or non-"Area of effect" (for lack of a better term) weapons?
Ruhnon
2022-08-09 16:13:37 +0000 UTCNasa should have built a tracked rather than wheeled vehicle (with automagic track tensioning, of course) https://behindtheblack.com/
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-08 17:39:22 +0000 UTCI’m going to be greedy and ask a second question. Poland recently announced that they were going to buy $14.5 billion in arms for South Korea to include (reportedly) 180 K2 Black Panther tanks followed by 820 K2PL models (Polish variation). Considering that the Poles currently operate Leopard 2A4’s and 2A5’s along with M1A2’s, any thoughts on what prompted the change? Also what’s you thoughts on the K2?
John Cryer
2022-08-06 02:05:14 +0000 UTCAs an old tanker, I get annoyed the way that your emphasis on maintenance - such as maintaining proper tack tension (let them have the pleasure of getting a track thrown to the inside - a true groan of a job) fixed) is treated by many as a joke. They seem to think operating an armored vehicle is the same as a car, you go to the driveway, get in and turn the key). Do you have any figures about the hours of maintenance per hours of operation for modern vehicles. How about WW2 (were American vehicles as good and British as bad as legend claims. How 'bout the Russians and Germans)
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-05 19:12:58 +0000 UTCSecond point, the idea that the M1's side skirts show they're a descendant of the German "Schurzen". Seems to ne both the M6 Heavy and T14 Assault tank had them before the Germans fielded their device - and those two American vehicles weren't the first (I'm thinking, for example, of Matilda II), Again, your thoughts please.
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-05 00:49:14 +0000 UTCHi, I always enjoy your videos. Thanks! Want your opinion on something. This was a comment to your Thunderbolt video about the XM1 "Heard that the test engineers got tired of how long it took to get from the garage to the test range between "make change in shop" and "see if it works in the field". 100+mph on a dirt road" I think this is utter BS - I don't see the track or suspension taking it, even if the power pack could generate the power needed without blowing up. Your thoughts, please.
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-08-05 00:37:31 +0000 UTCHello Mr.Chieftain! I wanted to ask you about the M103, America's last heavy tank. While its life in the US Army was short it served well into the 1970s with the US Marines. During its service with either branch do you think it would have been a match or outmatched by the tanks that the Soviets were fielding? Also what is your favorite tank variant or support vehicle?
Josh Conti
2022-08-04 22:16:37 +0000 UTCGiven the prevalence of 37 and 40mm autocannons in the 1930's, and that these were the main calibres for anti-tank guns at the time, why did nobody try to put a Bofors gun in a 20 tonne tank?
Sebastian Craenen
2022-08-01 10:18:49 +0000 UTCWhat idea was the smaller nations of Europe who were either making, or buying their tanks (such as Poland) that were not the norm of other major powers in the interwar period? Example from Poland was they used a great many TKS tankettes. I can understand expenses entirety being a factor, but the more in depth for other countries you never hear about like Romania.
The Slavin
2022-07-31 23:40:58 +0000 UTCEurosatory this year featured several tank prototypes with an autoloaded turret, but a fourth crew position present or optional in the hull. Given the obvious issues with ammo capacity, what do you think motivated the - even optional - inclusion of such a position?
JennyR
2022-07-29 21:03:41 +0000 UTCDo you have any thoughts on the Army's "Mobile Protected Firepower" vehicle? Is this a light tank in all but name?
Big_D
2022-07-29 11:21:09 +0000 UTCWas the 90mm APC-T T50/E1 ever adopted in any capacity? What was the performance of the round when fired from the T15E1 and M3?
Brett Hobbs
2022-07-27 03:52:24 +0000 UTCHowdy, new arrival to patreon and a big fan of your work. Greetings aside, I had a question about the T-28. Have you found anything about it while in the archives? And if so, was there anything on the crew reports on doing maintenance and tensioning of the 2 inner tracks? Edit: Saw the video of you on Insider rating tank scenes (now easily my favorite Insider video) which leads me to a follow up question. Do you plan to do more videos with them rating tank scenes?
Teku
2022-07-24 15:25:42 +0000 UTCWhen talking about armour penetration we hear things like penetrates 30mm at 500m, does this mean it will go through 30mm plate but if hitting a 31mm plate it will bounce off, or shatter the shell, or dig into 30mm of it and stop with 1mm remaining? Would repeated impacts to the same area with a shell that can't penetrate an armour plate fatigue it to the point of breaking? I'm quite curious as to what exactly the numbers mean in real life terms.
Chris Tomic
2022-07-23 03:09:32 +0000 UTCThis is more of an organizational question as opposed to an equipment question. “Back in the day” I was in the 3rd Squadron 163rd ACR (NV ARNG). At that time the squadron was organized under the “H-series” MTOE with an Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3 line troops (I, K, & L), a tank company (M), and a howitzer battery. The line troops were organized with 3 cavalry platoons consisting of the platoon leaders track M113 with a 5-man crew, a 10-man scout section with either 2 M113’s or 4 M151’s, a 12-man tank section with 3 M-60 tanks (plain old M-60’s not A1’s), a 9-man infantry squad in a M113, and a 5-man 4.2” mortar squad in a M106. A total of 41 troopers and 8 to 10 vehicles per platoon. When the Army switched to the “J-series” MTOE as part of “Division 86” the line troops converted to 2 scout platoons with 30-troops in 6 M113’s/M3’s and 2 tank platoons with 16 troops in 4 M60/M1 tanks. Additionally there was a mortar section with 2 4.2” squads at the troop level. At the time there was a HUGE debate on whether or not the army had “destroyed/ruined/wrecked” the cavalry and that with subsequent loss of fire power, both direct and indirect (-6 tanks & -3 4.2” mortars) and the loss of dismounts, -9 infantry squads (81 11B’s) with the gain being 9 scout crews (45 19D’s) in the squadron. Most folks also complained that with the change there was also a loss of the “Cavalry isn’t a branch, it’s a state of mind” combined arms attitude. While it looked like the new MTOE might work better along the inter-german border and in flat desert, we figured it was a loss of capability in light jungle, forests, hilly terrain, and villages and cities. Based on your experience what organization do you think would have been better to perform the traditional cavalry missions and how would they stack up compared to whatever the army is calling a cavalry unit these days? (OBTW: Yes I was with the squadron when we converted to 1-221st Armor in 1980)
John Cryer
2022-07-21 04:52:01 +0000 UTCA while back I saw a video (the name of which I forget) about a Challenger development mule (also forget the name of the program). It had a sideways camera mounted on the end of the tube for peeking around corners. It was deemed not worth it as crews were stopping at every turn, just to be sure (to be sure). Do you think that could be trained out and keep it or nope, keeping six guys on foot spaced out is hard enough, tell them more right foot instead?
Sim Crawford
2022-07-19 22:50:02 +0000 UTCSo we know that the official reaction against field applique armor like concrete and wood is that "it's not gonna help as armor while only straining your suspension", but are there any official or formal studies done by the military to test this? Or was it so blaringly obvious in the eyes of the experts that it wasnt worth doing a formal study?
쇼커
2022-07-17 14:51:57 +0000 UTCStill another. The 76mm gun was viewed as a failure when introduced in 1944. Yet six years later in Korea 76mm gun armed M4's did great execution against the vaunted T-34-85. Was it the availability of ammunition such as HVAP, superior American training and tactics (and inferior North Korean), or some other factor
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-07-16 10:01:57 +0000 UTCI suspect I may have it already, if it is the one from a couple of years ago.. What is the name?
The Chieftain
2022-07-14 23:06:06 +0000 UTCNick, Do you have a public E-mail address. I would like to send you a PDF file I found which is a US Army study on its AT efforts in WW2, in particular the 76mm gun
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-07-14 18:17:22 +0000 UTCHow about a look at the Sherman, Centurion and Hippo Beach Armored Recovery Vehicles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_armoured_recovery_vehicle
ROBERT NABORNEY
2022-07-13 14:13:53 +0000 UTCSince recent times I've gotten more invested in the Afrika campaign of the Allies and the Germans/Italians during early ww2. A large turning point during these was the Battle of El Alamein, but was this the most impactful turning point or was there a different one which could be described as such? I've started reading about the "Eight Army" as well so I am curious to hear what you think.
WhiteSagettarius
2022-07-12 22:08:09 +0000 UTCHowdy! Please give your thoughts on the usefulness of CITV's/Panoramic thermal sights on modern armored fighting vehicles. Are they something that gives a noticeable edge when finding and engaging enemy troops and vehicles? Soviet tanks like the T-80's had a traversable cupola for the commander with variable sight range and passive infrared imaging. Before the gradual introduction of panoramic thermal sights in the early 1990's, the T-80's commander's cupola and sight were supposedly pretty good for the 1980's. The commander also has an override to take control of the gun like in most Western systems. However the commander lacks thermal imaging, a CITV, unlike the M1A2, Leclerc SXXI, Leopard 2A5, and Type 10. Many of the modern Russian upgrades to older systems (T-80B to BVM and T-72B to B3 UBH) have updated thermal sights for the gunner but the commander still lacks an independent thermal viewer. A few designs with a CITV, namely the T-14 Armata, T-90M, T-72B4/B3M, and 2S25M have been produced, albeit in relatively low numbers, while others like the T-72B1MS have been made for export. Would you consider the lack of CITV's a detriment towards fighting efficiency (quickly and accurately finding, identifying, and engaging infantry and armor) as compared to Western designs with widespread use of CITV's? In general, how important is it to have thermal imaging for a panoramic sight?
Nuclear Puker
2022-07-10 12:49:09 +0000 UTCSo the 90’s was a sad time for the military enthusiast, so many cool vehicles and systems (both in the east and west) were killed off following the collapse of the Soviet Union. What were the next-gen MBT’s and IFV’s NATO was working on, and what were the next-gen MBT’s and IFV’s the USSR was working on? Which is your favorite, which was an abject mistake to cancel in hindsight, and which do you think was the most promising?
Robert Ohlweiler
2022-07-08 16:39:53 +0000 UTCIt's been awhile, so here's a twofer. What might a veteran WWII American tanker crew verbalize when suddenly taking fire from the right, through returning fire? I can find the official commands, but I haven't seen the "Contact right" equivalent, and I'm interested in what the short-version slang of a veteran crew used to fighting other tanks that could in fact kill them with a good hit would have been. Second, the T24E1 referenced in Hunnicutt, Stuart, p.237 with the engine compartment bulge for a R-975-C4 on rails - what would the advantages be, and what would have been a fix for the Spicer transmission's issues with that engine?
Entry Level Research
2022-07-08 02:13:07 +0000 UTCDo you think we will soon see (or re-see) electric or hybrid drives in modern vehicles, utilizing the high torque that is comparable or even superior to a gas turbine? And talking about modern stuff, what are your thoughts on the use of VR gear for "see-through" armor?
Christian Bügenburg
2022-07-06 05:51:55 +0000 UTCso we've heard about what the US Army thought about M4 and all its variants during WWII, but what about the Marines? did they have any specific variant they seemed to prefer over the others, or was it simply whichever M4 could carry the most crayons? (and maybe ammunition)
tim dalrymple
2022-07-05 20:48:02 +0000 UTCIn an episode of a Russian program covering the T-34, the museum staff recalled a story of and American visitor, a military historian, who upon appreciating that the track pins are forced back into position by the wedge on every revolution remarked "That's unfair." Was that you and is this means of pin retention a quality of life feature when preforming track maintenance or replacement?
Andrey Gardner
2022-07-05 13:30:19 +0000 UTCIs there a vehicle you had an opportunity to operate, but passed on it and now regret? Not necessarily speaking of regular every day cars, but maybe.
TNSheep
2022-07-05 01:21:17 +0000 UTCFlying Saucers. =)
TNSheep
2022-07-05 01:19:32 +0000 UTCThats a good question, i always wondered this also.
TNSheep
2022-07-05 01:19:07 +0000 UTCHow is recovery of vehicles in combat achieved in the modern US military?
Christopher Hewitt
2022-07-04 22:27:46 +0000 UTCWhat's in the display case on the wall to your left next to the bookshelf?
USAUSA
2022-07-04 20:50:18 +0000 UTCHas the origin of calling the gunners controls in an Abrams/Bradley "Cadillacs" ever been sourced? I came across similar controls in the turrets for V-150 Commandos (produced by Cadillac-Gage) that said Cadillac-Gage on them and thought this might have something to do with it.
2na
2022-07-04 19:33:21 +0000 UTCIs there any combat vehicle which turned out to be *bad* at the job it was designed for, but *good* at some other purpose?
Windwalker57
2022-07-04 17:38:42 +0000 UTC2. Seeing all the older vehicles Russis seems to be pulling out for deployment to Ukraine, what vehicles would you see the US pulling out for deployment in an alternate history Team Yankee/Twilight 2000 scenario? Or more likely, hpw might late Cold War vehicles be simplified to cut cost abd production time? Asking to help build my game world.
Thunderchild
2022-07-04 13:15:46 +0000 UTC1. You expressed disgust at the taco pizza, what is your preferred pizza topping?
Thunderchild
2022-07-04 13:12:07 +0000 UTCIn some European tanks like the Pz. I and II, and variants of British light tanks, there were obvious uses of small autocannons. Why does it seem that the US didn't consider autocannons during the same pre-war time period?
Striker1959
2022-07-04 02:03:41 +0000 UTCDo you know if there are any ongoing projects to restore another Tiger 1 to running order?
Joshua Nichols
2022-07-03 15:32:26 +0000 UTC1. Suppose the Irish government has seen fit to bestow a generous and overdue increase in defence spending for the Irish Army. It has also mandated that these funds go partly towards the adoption of a modest number, (for the sake of question around 20-30ish), tracked AFVs. You get the final say in which AFV, be it a tank or IFV, be purchased from any nation with neutral or warm relations with Ireland. Which tracked armoured fighting vehicle would you select as being the best fit for a somewhat less budget restricted Irish Defence Force if it had to adopt one and why? 2. If a second question is on the table, did you have a favourite armoured vehicle growing up as a young lad?
Joe Barrett
2022-07-03 14:07:31 +0000 UTCTwo Questions for Ya: 1: Why was the M26 Pershing phased out so quickly in favor of the M46, M47 and M48? was it to do with the size of the tank or something else? 2. Did the US ever test the concept of squeeze-bore guns like the Germans or did they find it too hard to make or maintain?
John
2022-07-03 12:07:46 +0000 UTCTwo this time, if I may: First: Why are automatic grenade launchers not more commonly see on tanks? While I understand the concept of "If it's too big for the machine gun, use the main gun!" being used as a justification for rejecting automatic cannons on tanks, smaller AGLs lack many of the size issues that the larger cannons pose. They would seem to give a tank crew a much more even range of firepower between a rifle-caliber machine gun and the main cannon, as opposed to the ~.50 caliber weapons we see on many tanks today. Is it a matter of limited range? Ammunition capacity? Precision of fire? I find it odd that, outside of parade tanks seein in North Korea, the only armor I can think of which uses such equipment are the Russian BMPT platforms, which already mount two automatic cannons; I would assume that these sorts of weapons, if any, would be the ones to make AGLs redundant on an armored vehicle. Second: Any insight or thoughts you can share on the MPF program? Now that Griffin II has been given the production contracts, do you believe the Army is finally on the way to get a new light tank, or will this be a repeat of the AGS program with GLDS's project soon to be joining the M8 in acquisition purgatory?
Felicity Longis
2022-07-02 23:50:25 +0000 UTCThere were all kinds of weird mine disposal/detonator vehicles throughout WWII, what are your thoughts on mine exploder t10? What are some of your favorite obscure ones?
Caleb Engelhardt
2022-07-02 18:35:23 +0000 UTCIn WWII, the Germans experimented with S-mine launchers on tanks, and more recently Claymores were proposed for anti-infantry defense. Do these ideas have any merit?
Nuxes
2022-07-02 18:19:22 +0000 UTCWas it technological limitations or intellectual/design inertia that kept the transmission in the front of AV that required a drive shaft going the length of the vehicle till post WW2 and the advent of the power pack?
Robert Henry Illston
2022-07-02 18:03:58 +0000 UTCWas reading that one of the reasons that the Stryker MGS is being retired is that there were problems with the autoloader and the cost of fixing the autoloader wasn't worth it. DA wants to put money into newer platforms. If money was not an object, is the MGS worth saving?
Mike Quinton
2022-07-02 17:15:27 +0000 UTCQuestion is why was the T – 34 76 mm main gun enclosed in a long shroud or mantle, but the Sherman and panzers had a more "traditional" main gun mantle.
Mike Quinton
2022-07-02 17:13:26 +0000 UTCHow much and in what way have missions/operations changed as/for a tank commander and/or platoon leader from ww2 to your last deployment? What tasks came and what tasks have gone? Has it gotten easier or more difficult? [Would a tank platoon leader from 1945 be able to handle a m1 platoon in modern day?]
Reichsbierminister
2022-07-02 16:09:58 +0000 UTCA few years back, with my wife’s approval, I got back into scale modeling. First with ships, at which I suck, then aircraft, at which I’m somewhat better and have built planes for all four of my kids, and I’ve started dabbling in 1/35 armor. My oldest daughter (age 8) recently decided she wanted to help me build a tank, or tank-ish vehicle. She picked out an M18 Hellcat. My son (age 6) is also displaying some interest. What would you recommend for a young boy’s first armored fighting vehicle? And since his little sisters will probably want their own as well, how about for a girl?
Sworn Brother of the Ballistic Order of Saint John Moses Browning
2022-07-02 16:02:28 +0000 UTCDo you know any details on the use of Chieftain tanks by Iran in the Iran-Iraq-War, and the use of Chieftains by Kuwait during the Invasion of Kuwait?
Alexander H.
2022-07-02 15:41:37 +0000 UTCwhat books can you recommend about tanks for a fairly new person in the subject?
Oscar
2022-07-02 15:08:50 +0000 UTCOf course a lot of the videos and other material coming out Ukraine are propaganda/slanted/a small sample size. Nonetheless, is there anything you have seen coming out Ukraine that has genuinely surprised you (e.g., the number of Russian generals that apparently have been killed)?
John Rehberger
2022-07-02 15:00:28 +0000 UTC
